In the winter of 1981, four Polish workers come to London to renovate a house; of the four, only the foreman, Nowak, speaks English. To finish the job within a month, they work from dawn to dusk and live very frugally. Meanwhile Nowak learns from the television news that martial law has been declared across Poland. Deeply shaken, he keeps it to himself so that the work can go on. Only when the house is finished as agreed, on the way to the airport, does Nowak have to reveal the truth about the upheaval at home…
A fine film about exile that the Polish master Jerzy Skolimowski made in response to martial law in Poland. Jeremy Irons plays a “foreman” who is fragile yet struggles to keep up appearances. The score is by Stanley Myers together with Hans Zimmer, the first film score of Zimmer’s career.
Translated from English by IFFDAY, not yet reviewed.
Stills(3)
Screenings(2)
Sat, 11/07
16:1517:52
Shanghai Film Center (SHO), Hall 1, Dolby Auditorium
